Device for opening the protective cover of an inflatable body

ABSTRACT

A device for opening the protective cover of an inflatable body, especially life jacket, according to which the release opening of said protective cover is adapted to be closed by a slide fastener which has a relatively wide looped portion in closing position of said fastener inserted in a chamber inside said cover while an adjacent portion of said fastener passes through a relatively narrow passage through which said loop portion is pulled out by fluid pressure acting upon the inside of said inflatable body in said cover at which time a portion of said fastener breaks open followed by successive portions of said fastener opening in conformity with the increasing inflation of said inflatable body.

United States Patent [151 3,685,069

Bernhardt et a1. [45] Aug. 22, 1972 [5 DEVICE FOR OPENING THE FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS PROTECTIVE COVER OF AN INFLATABLE BODY 941,150 1 l/ 1963 Great Britain ..9/3 16 [72] Inventors: Jost Bernhardt; Friedrich Bohle, primary E i Mj|to Buchler both of Hamburg, Germany Assistant ExaminerPaul E. Sauberer [73] Assignee: Bernhardt Apparatebau GmbH & Alwmeywa1ter Becker Co., Hamburg, Germany 22 Filed: March 8,1971 [57] ABSTRACT [21] AppL N 0.: 122 080 A device for opening the protective cover of an inflatable body, especially life jacket, according to which the release opening of said protective cover is 1 Foreign Application Priority Data adapted to be closed by a slide fastener which has a March 10, 1970 Germany ..P 20 11 185.7 relatively wide looped portion in closing position of said fastener inserted in a chamber inside said cover [52] US. Cl ..9/3l6 while an adjacent portion of said fastener passes [51] Int. Cl ..B63c 9/16 through a relatively narrow passage through which Field 0f Search /3l said loop portion is pulled out by fluid pressure acting 9/ l 1 R, l 1 A; 190/41 2 upon the inside of said inflatable body in said cover at which time a portion of said fastener breaks open fol- [56] References Cited lowed by successive portions of said fastener opening UNITED STATES PATENTS in conformity with the increasing inflation of said inflatable body. 2,609,549 10/1952 Krupp .9/11 A 2,774,979 12/1956 Moran 9/3 16 6 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures l 6 T i l "1? ii 4 I I "3 I I J 8 i {g 1 J 1 5 l n l 2 II I 1 q I v i xi ,4 l I i -i l 1 L iLi l V l I 1 l I PATENTEDwezz m2 SHEET 1 [IF 5 PATENTEDmzz m2 SHEET 5 0F 5 3 6 4 K 1 7 T f x I ljlillllllllllllulf-lJll-L I l I I I I I I \IIIIIJ INVENTOR. m s x as) DEVICE FOR OPENING THE PROTECTIVE COVER OF AN INFLATABLE BODY The present invention concerns the opening of the protective cover for an inflatable body, for instance, a life jacket, and it is an object of this invention to provide a device which will be able automatically, reliably and repeatedly to carry out the opening of a protective cover in response to the exertion of an inflating pressure. An automatic opening is of particular importance in connection with life jackets and the like because in many instances the respective user of such device is not able to open the protective cover himself.

For opening the protective cover of an inflatable body various possibilities have become known, as for instance bursting snap fasteners, a connection of the marginal areas of the cover as produced by cementing, sewing or fusing while providing a predetermined breaking area, a locking wire adapted to be pulled out of a pair of ears provided in the marginal areas of the cover, zippers with removable but non-reusable lock, or a so-called burcloth-closure adapted to be opened when subjected to a pulling force. These heretofore known devices partially lack the ability of opening automatically and also lack the strength to resist pressures from the outside, for instances, in connection with life saving equipment, against the pressure encountered during catapulting. Moreover, most of these heretofore known devices can be used only once.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a device of the above mentioned general type which will meet the above outlined requirements and will automatically transform an inflatable body, for instance a life jacket, from its wrapped or packed condition into its condition ready for use.

This object and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a device according to the present invention, partially in section.

FIGS. 2 and 3 illustrate on a larger scale than FIG. 1 a detail of the present invention.

FIGS. 4, and 6 show the device according to the invention in different positions.

The present invention makes use of a zipper system known per se according to which, when the marginal interengageable portions of the two zipper strips are in closed condition, by a sharp bending a small opening is produced from where both strips will disengage each other when subjected to pull or pressure so that the zipper will open its entire length. This zipper furthermore has the property that it can be returned to its closing condition by means of a customary di splaceable slide.

According to the present invention, such zipper is provided for the protective cover of an inflatable body and at the opening area is with both strips closed and bent clamped in a clamping member which narrows in such a way that the strips will disengage each other when they are pulled out of the clamping member connected to the protective cover. For purposes of producing this movement of pulling out and opening the zipper, it is merely necessary to open the source of gas under pressure, especially a compressed air bottle, in the prescribed manner for the inflation of the body. The increase in pressure in the body and the increase in the volume of the body will pull the clamped-in portion of the zipper out of the clamping member. As soon as this opening area is free and is subjected to the pressure of the compressed air, the compressed air will bring about the opening of the zipper over its entire length and thus will free the inflatable body so that the latter can expand to its full volume under the effect of the further air pressure.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, FIG. 1 shows an inflatable body 1 of a life jacket in packed together condition in which the wall portions of the inflatable body are folded together and located within a protective cover 2. For purposes of inflating the floatable body 1, a compressed air bottle 4 with opening device 5 and handwheel 6 is mounted on and connected to the supporting frame 3 for the device. A conduit 7 leads to the body 1 for filling the same. The protective cover 2, when in its packed condition, is held closed by a zipper As shown on a larger scale in FIG. 2, the zipper 8 is with the adjacent portions of the protective cover 2 in closed condition with a loop 9 introduced into a clamping member 10 arranged within the protective cover 2. The clamping member 10 has for the loop 9 a hollow chamber 11 with an exit opening which latter is adapted by means of a roller 12 and a pivotable lever 13 to be varied as to its width, said lever being adapted to be pivoted into the dot-dash line position for introducing the loop 9. The clamping member 10 is connected to the protective cover 2 of the floating body I by means of a strap 14.

When air under pressure is released from bottle 4 through conduit 7 into the floating body 1, whereby the inflation of the body 1 is initiated, the pressure developing in the body 1 acts upon those parts of the wall portions of cover 2 which are adjacent to the loop of the zipper 8 and pulls the loop 9 out of the clamping member 10 through the opening defined by roller 12 and lever 13. In view of the narrow cross-section of this opening the zipper 8 is bent so sharply or is buckled that in the zipper 8 first only a small opening a (FIGS. 3 and 5) is created. After the zipper has left the clamping member 10, the further effective inflating pressure starting from the opening a opens the zipper 8 over its entire length so that the walls of the floating body 1 can, in view of the effect exerted by the compressed air, freely leave the protective cover 2 and can be fully inflated. The just described operation, individual phases of which are illustrated in FIGS. 4 to 6, merely requires the turning of the wheel 6. Such an operation can, of course, also be initiated by an automatic device.

The pulling out of the zipper 8 from the clamping member 10 may be aided by giving the strap 14 only a limited length and connecting the same to a fixed marginal area within the protective cover. It will be appreciated that in such an instance the gas pressure forming in the floating body 1 will after tightening the strap 14 act upon those portions of the walls of cover 2 which are adjacent to the loop 9 of the zipper 8 and will pull the loop 9 out of the opening of clamping member 10 as indicated by arrows in FIGS. 3 and 4.

Within the region of the clamping area, the zipper 8 may be provided with an inwardly pointing curvature 17 (see FIG.'6) so that at this area the inflating pressure will become first effective. In this way there is the additional assurance that the zipper 8 will easily open.

After the life saving equipment has been used, the emptied floating body 1 and its protective cover 2 may, by closing the zipper 8 by means of the slide 15, be returned to their previous inactive condition.

For purposes of introducing the closed zipper 8 with loop 9 into the clamping member 10 and subsequently pivoting the lever 13 from the dot-dash line position in FIG. 2 into the full line position, the protective cover 2 is provided with an opening which is adapted to be closed by a separate zipper 16 of standard type and through which opening the clamping member 10, the interior of cover 2 and the slide of zipper 8 are accessible from the outside.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular structure shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. In combination with an inflatable body, especially a life saving jacket: a protective cover adapted normally to fully receive and store said inflatable body, said protective cover having a release opening for releasing therethrough the major portion of said inflatable body, conduit means leading into said inflatable body for conveying pressure fluid into said inflatable body to inflate the same and to expel the major por tion of said inflatable body through said release opening, slide fastener means including two strips with interengageable elements adapted to engage and disengage each other for respectively closing and opening said release opening, and clamping means associated with said protective cover and defining relatively wide chamber means and relatively narrow passage means leading from said chamber means toward the outside, said chamber means being adapted to receive and store a relatively wide loop of said slide fastener means extending through said relatively narrow passage means, said slide fastener means being adapted in response to the inflation of said inflatable body to have said relatively wide loop section pulled out said chamber means through said narrow passage means whereby simultaneously said slide fastener means near said narrow passage means breaks open and continues to break open to release the major portion of said inflatable body.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, which includes strap means connected to said clamping means and connecting the same to said protective cover.

3. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said clamping means is located within said protective cover, said protective cover having an access opening to afford access to said clamping means from the outside of said protective cover, and closure means for selectively closing and opening said access opening.

4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said clamping means is formed by a U-shaped yoke partly defining said relatively large chamber means, means supported by said yoke defining said relatively narrow passage means.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which said means supported by said yoke are adjustable to vary the width of said relatively narrow passage means.

6. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said slide fastener within the region of said clamping means has an inwardly pointing curvature. 

1. In combination with an inflatable body, especially a life saving jacket: a protective cover adapted normally to fully receive and store said inflatable body, said protective cover having a release opening for releasing therethrough the major portion of said inflatable body, conduit means leading into said inflatable body for conveying pressure fluid into said inflatable body to inflate the same and to expel the major portion of said inflatable body through said release opening, slide fastener means including two strips with interengageable elements adapted to engage and disengage each other for respectively closing and opening said release opening, and clamping means associated with said protective cover and defining relatively wide chamber means and relatively narrow passage means leading from said chamber means toward the outside, said chamber means being adapted to receive and store a relatively wide loop of said slide fastener means extending through said relatively narrow passage means, said slide fastener means being adapted in response to the inflation of said inflatable body to have said relatively wide loop section pulled out said chamber means through said narrow passage means whereby simultaneously said slide fastener means near said narrow passage means breaks open and continues to break open to release the major portion of said inflatable body.
 2. An arrangement according to claim 1, which includes strap means connected to said clamping means and connecting the same to said protective cover.
 3. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said clamping means is located within said protective cover, said protective cover having an access opening to afford access to said clamping means from the outside of said protective cover, and closure means for selectively closing and opening said access opening.
 4. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said clamping means is formed by a U-shaped yoke partly defining said relatively large chamber means, means supported by said yoke defining said relatively narrow passage means.
 5. An arrangement according to claim 4, in which said means supported by said yoke are adjustable to vary the width of said relatively narrow passage means.
 6. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said slide fastener within the region of said clamping means has an inwardly pointing curvature. 